Г.Д. ДЫМИНА. КЛАССИФИКАЦИЯ, ДИНАМИКА И ОНТОГЕНЕЗ ФИТОЦЕНОЗОВ (НА ПРИМЕРЕ РЕГИОНОВ СИБИРИ). (НОВОСИБИРСК: ИЗД-ВО НГПУ, 2010. 213 С.)

• Main Author: Таран, Георгий
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: Федеральное государственное бюджетное образовательное учреждение высшего профессионального образования "Национальный исследовательский Томский государственный университет" 2011
• Subjects: Tombstone; ob river; taiga; Siberia
• Online Access: http://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/g-d-dymina-klassifikatsiya-dinamika-i-ontogenez-fitotsenozov-na-primere-regionov-sibiri-novosibirsk-izd-vo-ngpu-2010-213-s; http://cyberleninka.ru/article_covers/14009928.png

The reviewed book includes 7 chapters, 46 tables, 30 figures and 625 references. In chapter 1 "General description of the work", the history of syntaxonomic studies in Western Siberia is traced and material and methods of the work are characterized. The book contains 180 geobotanical releves, 39 of which were made by G.S. Taran. The last ones are published in the book without G.S. Taran permit. Moreover, the authorship of the 38 releves is not shown. In chapter 2 "Vegetation of the Western Siberia south (Ob river right-bank territory within the limits of Novosibirsk region)", 21 associations are characterized. They belong to 3 vegetation classes: Molinio-Arrhenatheretea (8 ass.), Festuco-Brometea (10 ass.), Querco-Fagetea (3 ass.). It is more correct to include 3 last associations in the class Brachypodio pinnati-Betuletea pendulae. In chapter 3 "Middle Ob floodplain vegetation (the north of Tomsk region)", the prodromus of grass communities is found. It includes 12 associations from 4 classes: Potametea (2), Phragmito-Magnocaricetea (8), Molinio-Arrhenatheretea (1), Scheuchzerio-Caricetea fuscae (1). This prodromus is wittingly incomplete. For this floodplain area, 36 grass associations from 7 vegetation classes were already described in geobotanical literature: Lemnetea (3), Potametea (6), Isoeto-Nanojuncetea (1), Bidentetea (2), Phragmito-Magnocaricetea (20), Molinio-Arrhenatheretea (3), Scheuchzerio-Caricetea (1). In addition, at least 10 forest and shrubbery associations from 3 classes were revealed there: Salicetea purpureae (4), Alnetea glutinosae (3), Brachypodio pinnati-Betuletea pendulae (3). Chapter 4 ("Successive series of communities according syntaxa of floristic classification") examines the vegetation of this Ob river reach on the whole, with envelopment of grass, shrubbery and forest communities. G.D. Dymina shares F. Clements' monoclimax conception but her successive schemes per se do not differ from schemes in Braun-Blanquet's works. The conforming to F. Clements is rather formal. She borrows some sonorous terms: climax, subclimax and hydrarch, mesarch and xerarch (series). At the same time, G.D. Dymina doesn't even discuss what she regards as the climax in the middle Ob territory. In terms hydrarch, mesarch and xerarch, she puts interpretation which differs from the original. The description of forests and shrubberies is given at a phytocoenon level, in spite of the fact that their syntaxonomy has interily completed. These phytocoenons are rather heterogeneous in syntaxonomical and ecological relation. They are lined up single series of changes which are by mistake named mesarch. Meanwhile, S.V. Vasiliev, who studied forest dynamics in this Ob floodplain area more than 20 years ago, showed 3 series of primary and 4 series of secondary alluviagenic successions and also special line of changes for the forest and shrubbery bogs of Ob holocene terrace. Successive connections between grass, shrubbery and forest communities are not less complete. Original vegetation dynamics is observed in mouth shors of Ob river tributaries. Thus, all G.D. Dymina's successive schemes are far from reality. In chapter 5 "Natural successions and anthropogenic vegetation", 82 floodplain species are divided into 5 groups according to their reaction to anthropogenic disturbances: from distinctly negative to distinctly positive. Such division without attaching to ecological specificity of an ecotope and the disturbance nature is not quite clear because species reaction to disturbances (pasture, mowing) varies under different conditions. In chapter 6 "Successive series. Climax and ontogeny of communities", it is alleged that any biological system may be regarded as an organism. In G.D. Dymina's opinion, vegetation at landscape level forms "organism of biocoenotic level" which stays in successive dynamics, pressing towards biological climax. Analysing vegetation cover in isolation from geographical environment, G.D. Dymina confuses cause and effect. She believes that striving for climax became a native characteristic of climax organism which has in a sense purposefulness and tries actively to transform ecotope in order to continue succession. The unfoundedness of such point of view is especially brightly revealed conformably to floodplains. The recurrence of vegetation changes in floodplains is a reflection of erosion and accumulation cycles of relief development. Intrinsic determinancy in passing successions is absent: their pace and form are determined from outside by landscape dynamics and set of offered ecotopes. Alas, landscape and geographical concreteness is alien to G.D. Dymina: she is not interested in ecological regimes of key areas, detailed topographic localization of studied phytocoenoses and even complete syntaxonomy of discussed vegetation. The reasoning is being held at a speculative level. Stating the facts about Ob floodplain, G.D. Dymina disregards all the most important scientific attainments won in this sphere for the last quarter of the century: the detailed typology of Ob floodplain relief, quite completed syntaxonomy of Ob and Irtish floodplain vegetation within the limits of middle taiga subzone, the results of the modelling complete and fragmentary successive lines, the data of 8and 18-year stationary researches of the vegetation in lower Irtish and middle Ob floodplains. The reviewed book may hardly be named a topical work. It is rather a literary tombstone to that state of the West Siberian syntaxonomy in which it used to be 20 years ago. A useful component of the work is geobotanical releves. Alas, the releves from Ob floodplain are appreciably cheapened because of the absence of information about their author, datum and localization. And unauthorized publication by G.D. Dymina of other's releves will serve as a reading-book example of scientific ethics norms breach. The reviewed book includes 7 chapters, 46 tables, 30 figures and 625 references. In chapter 1 "General description of the work", the history of syntaxonomic studies in Western Siberia is traced and material and methods of the work are characterized. The book contains 180 geobotanical releves, 39 of which were made by G.S. Taran. The last ones are published in the book without G.S. Taran permit. Moreover, the authorship of the 38 releves is not shown. In chapter 2 "Vegetation of the Western Siberia south (Ob river right-bank territory within the limits of Novosibirsk region)", 21 associations are characterized. They belong to 3 vegetation classes: Molinio-Arrhenatheretea (8 ass.), Festuco-Brometea (10 ass.), Querco-Fagetea (3 ass.). It is more correct to include 3 last associations in the class Brachypodio pinnati-Betuletea pendulae. In chapter 3 "Middle Ob floodplain vegetation (the north of Tomsk region)", the prodromus of grass communities is found. It includes 12 associations from 4 classes: Potametea (2), Phragmito-Magnocaricetea (8), Molinio-Arrhenatheretea (1), Scheuchzerio-Caricetea fuscae (1). This prodromus is wittingly incomplete. For this floodplain area, 36 grass associations from 7 vegetation classes were already described in geobotanical literature: Lemnetea (3), Potametea (6), Isoeto-Nanojuncetea (1), Bidentetea (2), Phragmito-Magnocaricetea (20), Molinio-Arrhenatheretea (3), Scheuchzerio-Caricetea (1). In addition, at least 10 forest and shrubbery associations from 3 classes were revealed there: Salicetea purpureae (4), Alnetea glutinosae (3), Brachypodio pinnati-Betuletea pendulae (3). Chapter 4 ("Successive series of communities according syntaxa of floristic classification") examines the vegetation of this Ob river reach on the whole, with envelopment of grass, shrubbery and forest communities. G.D. Dymina shares F. Clements' monoclimax conception but her successive schemes per se do not differ from schemes in Braun-Blanquet's works. The conforming to F. Clements is rather formal. She borrows some sonorous terms: climax, subclimax and hydrarch, mesarch and xerarch (series). At the same time, G.D. Dymina doesn't even discuss what she regards as the climax in the middle Ob territory. In terms hydrarch, mesarch and xerarch, she puts interpretation which differs from the original. The description of forests and shrubberies is given at a phytocoenon level, in spite of the fact that their syntaxonomy has interily completed. These phytocoenons are rather heterogeneous in syntaxonomical and ecological relation. They are lined up single series of changes which are by mistake named mesarch. Meanwhile, S.V. Vasiliev, who studied forest dynamics in this Ob floodplain area more than 20 years ago, showed 3 series of primary and 4 series of secondary alluviagenic successions and also special line of changes for the forest and shrubbery bogs of Ob holocene terrace. Successive connections between grass, shrubbery and forest communities are not less complete. Original vegetation dynamics is observed in mouth shors of Ob river tributaries. Thus, all G.D. Dymina's successive schemes are far from reality. In chapter 5 "Natural successions and anthropogenic vegetation", 82 floodplain species are divided into 5 groups according to their reaction to anthropogenic disturbances: from distinctly negative to distinctly positive. Such division without attaching to ecological specificity of an ecotope and the disturbance nature is not quite clear because species reaction to disturbances (pasture, mowing) varies under different conditions. In chapter 6 "Successive series. Climax and ontogeny of communities", it is alleged that any biological system may be regarded as an organism. In G.D. Dymina's opinion, vegetation at landscape level forms "organism of biocoenotic level" which stays in successive dynamics, pressing towards biological climax. Analysing vegetation cover in isolation from geographical environment, G.D. Dymina confuses cause and effect. She believes that striving for climax became a native characteristic of climax organism which has in a sense purposefulness and tries actively to transform ecotope in order to continue succession. The unfoundedness of such point of view is especially brightly revealed conformably to floodplains. The recurrence of vegetation changes in floodplains is a reflection of erosion and accumulation cycles of relief development. Intrinsic determinancy in passing successions is absent: their pace and form are determined from outside by landscape dynamics and set of offered ecotopes. Alas, landscape and geographical concreteness is alien to G.D. Dymina: she is not interested in ecological regimes of key areas, detailed topographic localization of studied phytocoenoses and even complete syntaxonomy of discussed vegetation. The reasoning is being held at a speculative level. Stating the facts about Ob floodplain, G.D. Dymina disregards all the most important scientific attainments won in this sphere for the last quarter of the century: the detailed typology of Ob floodplain relief, quite completed syntaxonomy of Ob and Irtish floodplain vegetation within the limits of middle taiga subzone, the results of the modelling complete and fragmentary successive lines, the data of 8and 18-year stationary researches of the vegetation in lower Irtish and middle Ob floodplains. The reviewed book may hardly be named a topical work. It is rather a literary tombstone to that state of the West Siberian syntaxonomy in which it used to be 20 years ago. A useful component of the work is geobotanical releves. Alas, the releves from Ob floodplain are appreciably cheapened because of the absence of information about their author, datum and localization. And unauthorized publication by G.D. Dymina of other's releves will serve as a reading-book example of scientific ethics norms breach.